Palmer
Palmer is given to both girls and boys: 1,330 girls and 230 boys were given it in 2025 (#232 among girls’ names and #995 among boys’, #436 among all names counting both); 18,653 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026). Girls have outnumbered boys among babies named Palmer every year since 2012.
An estimated 14,300 Americans named Palmer and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (77% of everyone recorded); the median is 6 years old and half are between 3 and 13.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Palmer by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Palmer mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Palmer is “a male given name.” Its etymology gives the sense “a pilgrim from the Holy Land” (palmer).
From Middle English palmer (“a pilgrim from the Holy Land”), from Old French.
/ˈpɑmɚ/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Palmer?
#232 among girls’ names, 2025
Palmer rose from #1,348 in 2015 to #232 in 2025 among girls’ names; its share of girls born rose from 0.10 to 0.83 per 1,000.
1,560 babies in 2025, the peak
Palmer peaked in 2025, when 1,560 babies were given it (1,330 girls, #232 among girls’ names). In 2024 it went to 1,224 girls.
Births by sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,330 | #232 | 230 | #995 |
| 2024 | 1,224 | #258 | 202 | #1,079 |
| 2023 | 1,133 | #277 | 240 | #945 |
| 2022 | 1,075 | #295 | 200 | #1,091 |
| 2021 | 996 | #330 | 222 | #989 |
| 2020 | 888 | #348 | 163 | #1,188 |
| 2019 | 675 | #461 | 165 | #1,176 |
| 2018 | 433 | #675 | 172 | #1,125 |
| 2017 | 247 | #1,044 | 179 | #1,094 |
| 2016 | 241 | #1,080 | 133 | #1,345 |
Every recorded year (145)
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 177 | #1,348 | 137 | #1,301 |
| 2014 | 173 | #1,355 | 112 | #1,464 |
| 2013 | 132 | #1,629 | 114 | #1,456 |
| 2012 | 138 | #1,581 | 114 | #1,456 |
| 2011 | 67 | #2,657 | 94 | #1,631 |
| 2010 | 13 | #9,112 | 83 | #1,789 |
| 2009 | 17 | #7,603 | 94 | #1,681 |
| 2008 | 20 | #6,745 | 84 | #1,787 |
| 2007 | 24 | #5,852 | 109 | #1,474 |
| 2006 | 14 | #8,599 | 98 | #1,532 |
| 2005 | 10 | #10,727 | 80 | #1,685 |
| 2004 | 11 | #9,744 | 86 | #1,547 |
| 2003 | 10 | #10,239 | 72 | #1,708 |
| 2002 | 7 | #13,267 | 54 | #2,037 |
| 2001 | 8 | #11,788 | 58 | #1,901 |
| 2000 | 7 | #12,792 | 65 | #1,734 |
| 1999 | 5 | #16,197 | 66 | #1,634 |
| 1998 | 12 | #7,896 | 82 | #1,400 |
| 1997 | 5 | #15,477 | 56 | #1,745 |
| 1996 | 9 | #9,362 | 44 | #2,006 |
| 1995 | 7 | #11,423 | 36 | #2,238 |
| 1994 | 8 | #10,259 | 51 | #1,743 |
| 1993 | 7 | #11,427 | 39 | #2,072 |
| 1992 | 8 | #10,189 | 31 | #2,391 |
| 1991 | under 5 | 36 | #2,079 | |
| 1990 | under 5 | 48 | #1,690 | |
| 1989 | 5 | #13,870 | 36 | #2,015 |
| 1988 | under 5 | 27 | #2,287 | |
| 1987 | under 5 | 19 | #2,799 | |
| 1986 | 8 | #8,269 | 36 | #1,747 |
| 1985 | under 5 | 25 | #2,207 | |
| 1984 | under 5 | 24 | #2,217 | |
| 1983 | under 5 | 15 | #3,029 | |
| 1982 | under 5 | 20 | #2,492 | |
| 1981 | 5 | #11,624 | 24 | #2,180 |
| 1980 | under 5 | 27 | #2,039 | |
| 1979 | under 5 | 13 | #3,306 | |
| 1978 | under 5 | 11 | #3,550 | |
| 1977 | under 5 | 19 | #2,435 | |
| 1976 | under 5 | 19 | #2,394 | |
| 1975 | under 5 | 18 | #2,422 | |
| 1974 | under 5 | 14 | #2,764 | |
| 1973 | under 5 | 15 | #2,573 | |
| 1972 | under 5 | 23 | #1,911 | |
| 1971 | under 5 | 27 | #1,732 | |
| 1970 | under 5 | 30 | #1,568 | |
| 1969 | under 5 | 25 | #1,665 | |
| 1968 | 7 | #6,070 | 24 | #1,633 |
| 1967 | 7 | #5,883 | 29 | #1,435 |
| 1966 | under 5 | 28 | #1,476 | |
| 1965 | 5 | #7,241 | 25 | #1,584 |
| 1964 | 7 | #5,856 | 38 | #1,279 |
| 1963 | under 5 | 26 | #1,571 | |
| 1962 | under 5 | 41 | #1,223 | |
| 1961 | 6 | #6,365 | 46 | #1,167 |
| 1960 | 6 | #6,199 | 33 | #1,393 |
| 1959 | 8 | #4,922 | 40 | #1,240 |
| 1958 | under 5 | 38 | #1,259 | |
| 1957 | 8 | #4,802 | 46 | #1,145 |
| 1956 | 6 | #5,778 | 49 | #1,089 |
| 1955 | 5 | #6,478 | 56 | #1,006 |
| 1954 | 5 | #6,380 | 33 | #1,322 |
| 1953 | under 5 | 44 | #1,115 | |
| 1952 | under 5 | 48 | #1,051 | |
| 1951 | under 5 | 42 | #1,120 | |
| 1950 | 13 | #3,013 | 39 | #1,156 |
| 1949 | 10 | #3,559 | 59 | #902 |
| 1948 | 6 | #5,109 | 54 | #950 |
| 1947 | 10 | #3,641 | 57 | #931 |
| 1946 | under 5 | 50 | #950 | |
| 1945 | under 5 | 47 | #950 | |
| 1944 | 5 | #5,077 | 66 | #773 |
| 1943 | under 5 | 79 | #731 | |
| 1942 | under 5 | 74 | #746 | |
| 1941 | under 5 | 76 | #712 | |
| 1940 | under 5 | 68 | #746 | |
| 1939 | under 5 | 60 | #791 | |
| 1938 | under 5 | 59 | #812 | |
| 1937 | under 5 | 73 | #704 | |
| 1936 | under 5 | 83 | #635 | |
| 1935 | under 5 | 91 | #614 | |
| 1934 | under 5 | 69 | #740 | |
| 1933 | 8 | #3,344 | 92 | #608 |
| 1932 | 7 | #3,833 | 89 | #641 |
| 1931 | under 5 | 92 | #622 | |
| 1930 | 5 | #5,090 | 101 | #614 |
| 1929 | under 5 | 115 | #551 | |
| 1928 | under 5 | 105 | #602 | |
| 1927 | under 5 | 99 | #635 | |
| 1926 | 9 | #3,486 | 119 | #566 |
| 1925 | 7 | #4,342 | 131 | #537 |
| 1924 | 7 | #4,346 | 126 | #565 |
| 1923 | 9 | #3,589 | 136 | #522 |
| 1922 | 6 | #4,886 | 160 | #492 |
| 1921 | 9 | #3,606 | 160 | #490 |
| 1920 | 7 | #4,304 | 144 | #506 |
| 1919 | under 5 | 140 | #502 | |
| 1918 | 7 | #4,183 | 173 | #451 |
| 1917 | 11 | #2,834 | 135 | #493 |
| 1916 | 5 | #4,983 | 136 | #487 |
| 1915 | 5 | #4,803 | 135 | #480 |
| 1914 | under 5 | 81 | #553 | |
| 1913 | 7 | #2,753 | 85 | #471 |
| 1912 | 5 | #3,324 | 72 | #467 |
| 1911 | under 5 | 42 | #456 | |
| 1910 | 5 | #2,703 | 25 | #578 |
| 1909 | under 5 | 29 | #484 | |
| 1908 | 7 | #1,813 | 37 | #386 |
| 1907 | under 5 | 22 | #507 | |
| 1906 | under 5 | 27 | #429 | |
| 1905 | under 5 | 19 | #544 | |
| 1904 | under 5 | 19 | #509 | |
| 1903 | under 5 | 22 | #444 | |
| 1902 | under 5 | 11 | #724 | |
| 1901 | under 5 | 20 | #432 | |
| 1900 | under 5 | 21 | #529 | |
| 1899 | under 5 | 10 | #699 | |
| 1898 | under 5 | 16 | #536 | |
| 1897 | under 5 | 23 | #400 | |
| 1896 | under 5 | 12 | #666 | |
| 1895 | under 5 | 13 | #599 | |
| 1894 | under 5 | 18 | #478 | |
| 1893 | under 5 | 15 | #499 | |
| 1892 | under 5 | 10 | #739 | |
| 1891 | under 5 | 15 | #468 | |
| 1890 | under 5 | 10 | #659 | |
| 1889 | under 5 | 8 | #773 | |
| 1888 | under 5 | 16 | #497 | |
| 1887 | under 5 | 13 | #508 | |
| 1886 | under 5 | 12 | #566 | |
| 1885 | under 5 | 8 | #749 | |
| 1884 | under 5 | 6 | #947 | |
| 1882 | under 5 | 15 | #483 | |
| 1881 | under 5 | 8 | #688 | |
| 1880 | under 5 | 10 | #628 |
Ranks: girls’ names and boys’ names ranked separately in each year’s SSA file; “under 5” is a year SSA did not list the name for that sex.
Is Palmer a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 18,653 Americans recorded as Palmer, 50% are girls and 50% boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Palmer: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Palmer, and how old are they?
14,300 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 77% of the 18,653 Americans ever recorded as Palmer. The median Palmer alive today is 6 years old; half are between 3 and 13.
The 2020 Census counted 6,871 people named Palmer (2,769 women and girls, 4,102 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 7,066 born in the U.S. The Census count is 3% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 250 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 612 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 321 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 543 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 1,640 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 10,900 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Palmer born?
The states with the most babies named Palmer are Texas, Florida and Georgia, with 23% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 159 | #249 | 0.7× |
| Florida | 102 | #228 | 1.0× |
| Georgia | 88 | #124 | 1.3× |
| Ohio | 88 | #145 | 0.8× |
| North Carolina | 80 | #149 | 1.2× |
| Tennessee | 70 | #126 | 1.2× |
| California | 59 | #684 | 0.3× |
| Michigan | 54 | #179 | 0.5× |
| Illinois | 53 | #248 | 0.5× |
| Indiana | 49 | #171 | 0.8× |
Where Palmer is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Palmer is most over-represented in North Dakota: since 1910 it was given 2.4 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among girls’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Palmer with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Palmer
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Palmer and names like it
- Compare Palmer and WaverlyBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2020sPalmer peaked in 2025.
- Texas’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Palmer since 1910.
- The top names of 2025The year the most babies were named Palmer.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Palmer alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with PMost given first.